(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) An oddball comedy Finding Fanny works for its underlying melancholy before it succumbs to rom-com formula finds Deepa Gauri In a nutshell Finding Fanny is a well-crafted non-Bollywoodesque film with fine performances great cinematography and a quirky sense of humour. It is not a laugh-a-thon and not intensely emotional but for a short film at just over 90 minutes it is not greatly engaging and definitely not great cinema.The story of five rather socially awkward people in a dream-like fictional village demands that you do not overtly focus on logic. That is perfectly reasonable because art need not necessarily be logical as long as it is truthful to its milieu and genre.
Finding Fanny the third film by director Homi Adajania (after the deliciously engaging Being Cyrus and the lame formulaic Cocktail) does not really try to fit into any genre. From what is an almost Marquezian beginning it descends steadily into rom-com clichés highlighted by its ‘let us tidy up all loose ends’ climax.
The search for the love of one’s life for whom one had wasted 46 years simply does make an interesting plotpoint. In Finding Fanny that socially awkward character Ferdie is safe in the capable hands of Naseeruddin Shah. He finds his match in the expletive-spewing artist Don Pedro played by Pankaj Kapur. Together they are dynamite.
Almost a road movie and one that narrates the melancholic existence of Rosie (Dimple Kapadia) Angie (Deepika Padukone) and Savio (Arjun Kapoor) Finding Fanny is intended to be savoured slow – much like the village which Angie reminds us is where time takes its own pace according to your choice.
That sentiment pervades the movie too: Often rolling along with determined sluggishness it gains pace unexpectedly before dipping back to the smooth cruise. Over the course of this journey Homi offers us insights into the life of Angie (widowed on the day of her marriage) Rosie (leading a sad existence with a lost husband and dead son) and Savio (a loser who runs away after his friend marries his sweetheart – yes Angie).
Complex and oddball these characters do not engage you beyond their immediate words and deeds. If that is deliberate because Homi intended this to be a comedy there is no reason to complain. But if he indeed wanted to create a captivating showcase of five characters there isn’t enough effort.
As is the norm in movies unsure of its genre Finding Fanny offers you philosophical outpourings on life – thankfully not in-your-face. There are also the not hard to predict inward trajectories the movie takes into the lives of the protagonists.
Gloriously shot by Anil Mehta – the frames are dream-like – Finding Fanny has outstanding performance by Dimple Kapadia. Amongst all five she deserves a standing ovation. Her ‘moment of realisation’ is perhaps the most powerful in the film. Deepika is sprightly and captures that enigmatic intensity needed of Angie perfectly well. Arjun Kapoor is the odd man out. With his sullen expressions all through he hardly raises the bar.
Finding Fanny would make for great theatre – and you get that feeling way too often. It would also have made for a great short film but as a full-length feature it does not rise to the level of great art.
Simply put you don’t mix fantasy with formula – Homi falls prey to that. For those who love movies in this genre I would recommend a Malayalam film Amen.
Bollywood won’t like such comparisons with regional cinema but truth be told Indian cinema has offered us far more delightful spectacles than this search for Fanny.
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